FIA drops graft case against FBR’s ex-chairman Shabbar Zaidi

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has withdrawn a corruption case filed against former Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Shabbar Zaidi, a day after booking him on charges of issuing unauthorised income tax refunds worth Rs16 billion during his tenure.

The case had been lodged on October 29 at the Anti-Corruption Circle against Zaidi and others as accused, alleging that the refunds were made illegally during a period from May 2019 to January 2020. Zaidi served as FBR chairman from May 10, 2019 to January 6, 2020, after being appointed during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government. However, a day after the FIA withdrew a case. According to a copy of a notification obtained by The News after it was issued by the office of the FIA director Karachi Zone, the FIA director Karachi Zone has been please to accord permission for the cancellation of the FIR under Rule 24.7 of the Police Rule 1934 as well as classification of the case as “C-Class” and submission of the discharge report before the court of special judge (Central-I) under Section 173 of the CrPC against then FBR chairman Shabbar Zaidi.